Sources: David Bailiff to be new head coach at Texas A&M-Commerce

Colby Carthel led the Texas A&M Commerce Lions the last six years, winning 59 games during that span, including winning the Division II National Championship in 2017. This season, the Lions went 10-3, losing in the second round of the playoffs.

Following the season, Carthel was hired to lead the rebuilding of FCS Stephen F. Austin’s program.

Sources tell FootballScoop, A&M Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray plans to hire former Rice head coach David Bailiff as the next head coach of the Lions. An announcement could come as early as tomorrow source tells FootballScoop. Dan Wolken with USA Today was first to report the planned hire.

Bailiff, who won a conference title at both Texas State and Rice, will have his first opportunity to take over a team that is in position to compete for conference and even national titles. Known as a true gentleman within the profession, Commerce fans will undoubtedly enjoy having Bailiff lead the program into the future.

As someone who has been coaching college football in the Lone Star state dating all the way back to 1997, Bailiff has Texas football coursing through his veins and his ties in the state should be instrumental is continuing to keep the Commerce program as a national title contender. Since coaching at the high school level at New Braunfels HS (TX) back in 1982, Bailiff has just one short stint outside of Texas at New Mexico coaching the defensive line from 1992-96. Outside of that, his entire coaching career has taken place inside of Texas, which is truly rare.

In three seasons at Texas State, Bailiff hit the double-digit win mark once, in 2005, finishing 11-3 while the program was still a I-AA program. Then, taking over at Rice in 2007, Bailiff quickly turned around the program, winning 3 games his first season before a seven-win improvement to 10-wins in year two. Bailiff stayed with Rice until the 2017 season, going 57-80 overall, completely rebuilding the program and its image nationally.

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest coaching job information.

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